Means for handling and firing guns on ships



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

I A. MODOUGALL.

MEANS FOR HANDLING AND FIRING GUNS 0N SHIPS.

No; 498,678. Patented May 30, 1893.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

. A. MQDO'UGALL. MEANS FOR HANDLING AND FIRING GUNS ON SHIPS.

A V wizetmew I fzz/erzfar AZewarzder Mp0 21.-

PETERS co, mmouma, wAsmNuToh. n c

'"llis'rrnn STATES ATENT ()FFI ALEXANDER MC'DOUGALL,

OF DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

MEANS FOR HANDLING AND FIRING GUNS ON SHIPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 498,678, dated May 30, 1893.

Application filed March 23, 1892,

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER MODOU- GALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Means forand Methods of Handling and Firing Guns on Ships of iVar; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention relates generally to various new and useful improvements in war vessels, which are adapted for use in times of.

war for coast and harbor defense, and the invention relates more particularly to improvements in the means and methods, of mounting the guns within said war vessels, whereby certain advantageous results are obtained.

Among the advantages which I attain by the use of my present invention is to facilitate the handling and operating of the guns; to so mount them, as to normally securea low center of gravity of the boat, and at the same time, bring the guns when being loaded within ready access to the powder and shot magazines, and to expose as small a portion as possible of the guns to the action of shot and shell from the enemy. Theimproved means and methods of operating and handling guns on ships of war, may be used on almost any vessel, and it is to be understood that my present invention is to be construed in the broad sense as being applicable to any and all vessels. The preferable type of war vessel with which I prefer to use my present invention,

, is that which has been invented by me, and

present invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 a sectional view of the same; Fig. 3 a side elevation of one of my improved war vessels, adapted to be towed, with the invention ap- Serial No. 426,123. (No model.)

plied thereto; Fig. 4, horizontal sectional view of Fig. 1, looking down upon the tracks.

In all of the above views corresponding parts are designated with the same letters of reference.

The present invention is Well adapted for use in connection with myimproved war vesvel, as described in said Letters Patent, and

it will be described herein as being applied thereto, but it should be understood that the.

which it may be pumped, when it is desired 1 to relieve the vessel of water ballast. F is a partition which divides the main portion of the hull from the:boiler and engine rooms within the stern. ?r are the boilers. H is the engine, which is to be of any suitable construction. I is the propeller, which is connected with and is operated by the engine H. Two or three propellers may be used for great speed, if desired. J is the stack from the boiler which passes up through the top of the vessel, and which is protected by a heavy turret, K. L is a heavy metallic turret, mounted on the top of the hull about mid-way between the bow and stern, and this turret serves as a ventilator for the main portion of the vessel, and it may carry one or more suitable machine guns, for keeping off torpedo d, is the auxiliary armor before referred to,

which is of any suitable construction, and

which is placed around the bow portion of the boat, so as to extend a short distancebelow the load water line.

The vessel which I have above generally outlined is the preferable formof boat with which I prefer to use my invention, but it is to be understood that any other form of vessel may be used, and that the boiler and engines may be dispensed with, in which case, the heat would have to be towed from place to place, by a tug or other suitable propelling vessel.

The improved manner of handling such a vessel by means of anchors passed out through the bow and stern, is clearly described in said application and a reiteration of the same, in thisconnection, is unnecessary.

P, is the extreme nose of the vessel which consists of a heavy metallic forging, or casting, and which is hemi-spherical in *shape. Instead of making the nose of this particular shape, it may be made conical or hexagonal, This nose is hinged at its upper end by a heavy hinge so as to be swung outwardly, but it will, of course, be understood that it may be hinged at the bottom or at one side, the only requisite being that the nose shall be capable of being opened.

Q are inclined tracks of ordinary construction, mounted upon a suitable super-structure R; In the drawings I have shown two of these tracks at the main portion of the hull, but it is to be understood that any number of tracks which can be arranged within the vessel may be used. These tracks Q,are parallel or approximately parallel to each other.

Q is a single track which extends up to the bow or'nose of the vessel, and which connects by suitable connecting' tracksor switches with the track Q.

Mounted upon each of the tracks Q, is a gun S, which is of any suitable and appropriate construction. The tracks Q, at their lower ends are made horizontally, so that the guns S will remain stationarywhile being loaded.

The manner of operating and handling the gun with this improved apparatus, supposing that two'guns are being used, is as follows: The port gun is loaded at the lower end of the track Q, and is moved up thereon, and is swung over on the track Q so as to open the hinged nose'l of the boat. The port gun will now point directly ahead and is then fired, after which it is allowed to move down the track Q, and is swung back over the port track Q by its gravity. While the port gun is being moved up the tracks and fired,- the starboard gun is being loaded, so that when the port gun is brought back the star board gun is moved up and it is switched oif to the track Q, when it is fired in a manner similar to the port gun. The two guns are therefore fired in alternation, so that a very rapid and effective fire can be kept up. It is possible though not desirable to arrange the guns so that when each gun is pointed out through the nose of the vessel, it will be fired automatically. It may be a desirable arrangement to connect the guns together, so that one gun in moving down the inclined track, will help to move the other gun up the same.

The powder and shot magazines are placed near the bottom of the track Q, so that it greatly facilitates the loading of the guns. The aiming of the guns is accomplished both by the pilot or steersman, and by the gunner within the hold, the former accomplishing the horizontal aim by keeping the nose of the boat pointing directly at the enemy, and the latter accomplishing the vertical ainrof the gun, by the proper elevation of the gun, which can be done by any one skilled in the art of gunnery. I

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new therein,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows: I I I 1. A war vessel, consisting of ahull having a conical shaped nose, said hull being without sheer, and having a normally high load line, so that when in action the nose of the vessel will be near the water; tracks within said hull, extending from said nose above the waterline, down into the hold of the vessel "to a point below the water line; and one or more guns movably mounted on said tracks,

and adapted to be pointed out of said nose,

with the muzzle of said gun, outside of the vessel, and fired, substantially asset forth.

2. A war vessel, consisting of a hull, having aconical shaped nose, said hull being without sheer, and having a normally high load line, so that when in action the nose of the vessel will be near the water; a hinged plate,

over the nose of the boat, adapted to normally cover the same; an inclined track or tracks within said hull, extending from said nose above the water line, down into the hold of the vessel to a point below the water line; and one or more guns movably mounted up the same, so as to point the muzzle of said gun, out of the nose, substantially asset forth.

3. The means of handling and firing guns on ships, provided with an open nose, which consists of an inclined track or tracks extending from said nose above the water line, down into the hold to a point below the water line, adjacent to the powder and shot magazines; and one or more guns, movably mounted on said track or tracks, substantially as set forth. I

ALEXANDER MCDOUGALL. 

